A special event, called High Society – Drugs in Victorian Britain, is being put on to support the Wellcome Collection’s latest exhibition High Society , which is on in London till February 27th, 2011 (and, having visited this past week, is well worth the trip.) High Society – Drugs in Victorian Britain will take place on February 11th and 12th, 2011.

The event will open with a Friday evening of traditional Victorian entertainment including a performance of the extraordinary Magic Lantern, which fascinated 19th century audiences. On the Saturday a host of experts, writers and historians; including Mike Jay, the curator of High Society, Stuart Anderson, Associate Dean at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and historians Louise Foxcroft and Michael Neve will talk on a variety of aspects of Victorian drug culture. Such topics as the Victorian Pharmacy, the beginnings of addiction, self-experimentation and drugs in Victorian literature are all included.

Tickets are £30 or £20 for concessions, this includes entrance to the Friday evening and Saturday, lunch, refreshments and free drinks on Friday evening. Also until Friday 21 January we are offering an early-bird £5 discount on full price tickets. For more information please visit the event website here.